Other inspirations

Ina was not my first cooking/foodie inspiration.  I owe that to my parents.  They are both foodies and enjoy good food.  However, their cooking styles are very different, so I'll explain them separately. 

First, my dad.  (The picture above is my dad and I last year at his birthday party.  I made a huge chocolate cake, filled with homemade raspberry sauce, and ganache with raspberry liqueur.)  He cooked on occasion and has signature dishes that he still makes today.  Some of his famous dishes include:  homemade pasta, risotto, strawberry shortcake, pesto, salads, and fettuccine alfredo.  He also loves to eat huge slabs of watermelon and tomatoes straight off the vine.  I think that he's eaten every spicy pepper there is and I've never seen him be miserable after an extremely spicy dish.  He makes a mean cup of coffee and gave me my first cup at around age 10.  I remember this well because he thought I wouldn't like it, so he poured half milk and half coffee.  I sent it back and said that I wanted coffee.  So, he poured black coffee into my mug and I've loved it ever since- thanks Dad.  He's a huge gardener and got me into gardening at a very young age.  I think that gardening interested me because I actually knew where my food came from and it tasted so much better. 
He's helping my mom out more and more in the kitchen and will do anything.  However, most of his signature dishes require time and a special occasion.  For instance, fettuccine alfredo is only eaten on Christmas, risotto is saved for weekends, and pesto is made in huge quantities at the end of summer when there's too much basil.  He's a great cook and knows good food when he tastes it.  More importantly, he has no fear with food and will try anything- I mean anything. 

Now onto my mom.  (The picture above is my mom and I during Halloween last year.  I made her a flourless chocolate cake with ganache and decorated a cemetery scene on it- I made chocolate trees out of melted chocolate, RIP gravestones out of cookies, and placed sugar pumpkins around.)  My mom cooked almost everyday when I was growing up.  Everything was homemade and quite delicious.  She has too many signature dishes to name, but my favorites as a child (and today) are her oven fried chicken, homemade mac and cheese, beef stroganoff, lasagna, spaghetti, cinnamon twists, meatloaf (with melted cheese on it, of course), mashed potatoes, cowboy cookies, sugar cookies, peanut brittle, roasted veggies, homemade vanilla and chocolate frosting, and her 2 famous dishes:  homemade bread and homemade pie. 
While she cooks pretty much every night, we can always expect homemade, hot out of the oven cinnamon twists on Christmas, homemade bread on holidays, and pie anytime good fruit is in season.  She will make anything you want when you come to visit and my last favorite meal was her oven fried chicken and carrot cake for my birthday- I still dream of that cake.  My mom was my first teacher in the kitchen and she still schools me.  I love cooking with her and know that I'll always get a great meal. 
She has also taught me the art of "evening" cakes and pies, how to read a recipe, how to taste, and how to cook for a family.  While she won't try anything (like my dad), she knows good food and can make good food.
Overall, thanks parents for caring about food, cooking, and nutrition.  I will carry this on for the rest of my life and I'll remember where it started.